Noah Addis/For The Star-LedgerThe city and county officials plan to lay off Camden's 270 police officers to make way for a new countywide force with a metro division.

MAGNOLIA – Residents and police officers on both sides of
the issue traded barbs and arguments Thursday over the plan to lay off all Camden
City police officers in favor of a countywide force, as the Camden County
freeholders passed a pair of resolutions allowing them to begin hiring for, and
funding, the new department.

The first resolution authorizes the county to apply to the New
Jersey State Civil Service Commission to begin hiring new officers, while the
other approved a $60,000 grant from the state Department of Community Affairs,
to be used as start-up funds for the department.

Those against the plan stated they were alarmed at what they
argued were efforts to "push the plan down our throats."

"First and foremost, without seeing how the finances will
work here we are all left with more questions than answers," said Kevin
Hibbitt, a Barrington police officer and chair of the Camden County Police
Benevolent Association Conference.

"Yet, despite lacking this critical piece of information,
Camden has proposed to lay off its entire force and the county is planning to
start hiring officers in the next few week," he added. "Simply put, we don't
see the answer to Camden's crime problem in creating a new police department
with less than half of the experience currently on the streets of Camden today."

The plan's detractors included a former state senator who
slammed the freeholders' efforts and called for a federal investigation.

"This is a case of questionable and dangerous overreach,"
said former Democratic Sen. Alene Ammond, who served in Trenton from 1974 to
1976 and later ran for mayor of Cherry Hill as a Republican in 2002. "What
right do you have to get rid of all of Camden's police officers and replace with
this countywide department? You Don't."

However, several Camden residents voiced enthusiastic
support for the countywide police plan, which would include a metro division of
400 officers to patrol the city.

Supporters told personal horror stories of crimes and
murders they witnesses, and urged officials to change the status quo.

"This is not just Camden's problem – this is everybody's problem,"
said Shelia Davis, a Camden resident, addressing the freeholders. "I'm not
saying all the police in Camden are the problem, but something has to change.

"I've watched kids open up with an AK-47 coming off a bus.
It's unacceptable. Something has to change today."

Then Davis turned to face the crowd behind her.

"And to all the naysayers out there: It's over," she said. "You
can either be part of the problem or part of the solution, and most of the time
you are the problem."

Shelia Roberts' husband was a Camden police officer until he
was shot in the city streets, and she stressed the need to scrap the current system
and start over.

"Be careful of what you are supporting," she warned
opponents of the plan. "We have a situation where a large percentage of city
police officers are calling out sick every day."

On the other hand, Karen Certo, who resides in Pine Hill and
works at UMDNJ in Camden, called the proposal an insult.

"It's an insult to all of the brave men and women who serve
on the city police department," she said. "And, yes, I am proud of Camden."

Freeholder Director Luis Cappelli, toward the end of the
public comment portion of the meeting, argued in favor of the plan, stating the
current situation in Camden regarding crime is dire, and that something must be
done to address it.

"There have been 41 murders in Camden so far this year," he
said. "That is what we're fighting against.

"This has been a problem for decades, and it's not the fault
of the police officers, it's the basic fact that the city cannot afford to
staff the current force when you take into account the current contract and
state aid levels. It is woefully understaffed, and the only way to fix it is to
start over with a new department."